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City of Columbia
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NEW
WATER RATES
The City Council approved a water
rate increase following a public hearing in March. The rate increase took
effect on March 26, 2008, and is reflected on the April 26, 2008 billings.
For a residential customer
within the City limits, the new rates include a $.65 increase in the minimum
monthly charge, a $0.10 increase in the first volume charge, and a $0.05
increase in the second volume charge, for an overall average increase of 2%.
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Residential Customer In Columbia City |
New Rate 3/26/08 |
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Minimum charge - less than 500
cubic feet of usage |
$30.00 |
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For each additional 100 cubic
feet, but usage less than 1,000 cubic feet |
$3.60 |
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For each additional 100 cubic
feet |
$4.50 |
The rates for commercial, industrial and outside City
water users received similar adjustments. For detailed information about other
rate classes, please contact City Hall by calling (503) 397-4010.
REMINDER
FOR ALL PET OWNERS
We'd
like to remind pet owners that the City's Animal Control Ordinance prohibits
animals from running at large. Pet
owners are required to have control of their pet at all times when it is off of
their private property. Pet owners are
prohibited from allowing their pets to deposit waste upon property not under
their ownership. If their pets do
deposit waste on property other than their own, they are required to
immediately remove it.
ROSE FESTIVAL FLEET WEEK
Mark your calendars; the Rose Festival Fleet Week
is June 4th though June 8th, 2008. See June’s newsletter
for additional information.
FINDING YOU WHEN
EVERY SECOND COUNTS!
Can emergency responders find
your home or business?
In a recent press release from
Columbia County the seriousness of having your address properly posted was
discussed.
You know where you live;
however, those that need to find you during an emergency situation and in hurry
may not. Police, fire and medical response times are crucial in saving lives,
but if your address is not properly posted, so that it is highly visible, it
could cost you. Remember, seconds count!
Having your address properly
posted is also a tremendous benefit for delivery companies such as UPS or FEDEX
and or utility service providers such as those providing your water, phone,
power and cable service.
Having your address properly
posted is the law!
Please take a moment and check
to see that your address is properly and clearly posted
THANK YOU
We'd
like to extend a very special "thank you" to:
v Judy
Anderson, Karin Bates, Jean Carulli, Kathie Fellows, Dolores Heinz, Betty
Jensen and Phyllis Rowley for helping with the newsletter and utility billing
in March.
v Norm
Jones for mowing Datis and Pixie Parks.
v Shelia
Bauer, Naomi Calkins, Stan Hopkins, Jack & Molly Hruska, Sally Ann Marson
and Buddy Rivers for their assistance with the Annual Spring Clean-Up Day.
v ODOT and
Columbia County Community Corrections Crew for clearing the undeveloped
right-of-way area between Fifth Street and Highway 30 south of “I” Street.
PLEASE - DO NOT FEED WILD ANIMALS!
Providing artificial food sources may lead to
unnaturally large concentrations of animals and increase the spread of disease.
Ø
Raccoons can acquire canine
distemper, a viral disease that infects foxes, coyotes, skunks, and
unvaccinated dogs. The disease does not
affect humans.
Ø
The disease is more likely to occur when raccoon
populations are large or concentrated.
Not all raccoons get the disease and many do survive these outbreaks.
To discourage wild animals, remove attractants from your yard.
Ø
Feed pets indoors. If you feed outdoors, bring in feeding bowls
right after pets have eaten.
Ø
Make sure garbage cans are
secure and can’t be knocked over or 
their lids removed.
Put garbage cans in a closed garage or storage shed. You can also secure them by tying them to a
stable object or by putting a long stake through the handle and driving it into
the ground.
Ø
If you have a compost pile with
fruit and vegetable scraps, make sure the compost is securely covered in bins
that raccoons can’t access.
For
current information regarding problem raccoons or other wildlife, contact the
Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife at 503-621-3488 (Sauvie Island).
PLEASE KEEP THOSE GRASSES
AND WEEDS CUT!
Between April 15th and September 30th
of any year, weeds and grass cannot exceed 10 inches in height within the City
limits. Additionally, blackberry bushes cannot extend across property lines or
into the City’s right-of-way, including streets, alleys and sidewalks. Property
owners or other persons in charge of the property must keep weeds, grass and
other noxious growth, such as poison oak, cut and maintained to prevent them
from becoming unsightly and a fire hazard, and to prevent them from maturing
and going to seed. Violators can be cited into Municipal Court. Additionally,
the City may abate the nuisance and lien the property for the costs. To report
violations, please contact City Hall.
TEN WAYS TO SAVE WATER
1.
Water your lawn only when it needs it. Step on your
grass. If it springs back when you lift your foot, it doesn't need water. So
set your sprinklers for more days in between watering. Saves 750-1,500
gallons per month. Better yet, especially in times of drought, water
with a hose. And best of all, convert your lawn to native plants.
2.
Fix leaky faucets and plumbing
joints. Saves 20 gallons per day for every leak stopped.
3.
Don't run the hose while washing
your car. Use a bucket of water and a quick hose rinse at the end. Saves
150 gallons each time. For a two-car family that's up to 1,200
gallons a month.
4.
Install water-saving
showerheads or flow restrictors. Saves 500 to 800 gallons per
month.
5.
Run only full loads in the
washing machine and dishwasher. Saves 300 to 800 gallons per
month.
6.
Shorten your showers. Even a
one or two minute reduction can save up to 700 gallons per
month.
7.
Use a broom instead of a hose to clean driveways
and sidewalks. Saves 150 gallons or more each time. At once a
week, that's more than 600 gallons a month.
8.
Don't use your toilet as an
ashtray or wastebasket. Saves 400 to 600 gallons per month.
9.
Capture tap water. While you
wait for hot water to come down the pipes, catch the flow in a watering can to
use later on houseplants or your garden. Saves 200 to 300 gallons
per month.
10.
Don't water the sidewalks,
driveway or gutter. Adjust your sprinklers so that water lands on your lawn or
garden where it belongs--and only there. Saves 500 gallons per
month.
DOWN BY THE RIVERSIDE CLEANUP
Please
join us for the eighth annual "Down By the Riverside" project in
Columbia City! We are looking for
volunteers to assist us with this project in Pixie Park and Datis Park on
Saturday, May 17, 2008, from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Volunteers will be removing
blackberry bushes, morning glory, ivy and debris, as well as planting,
painting, and sprucing up the parks as needed. If you are interested in
participating in this project, please contact City Hall, or just show up at one
of the parks!
Exercise
is a dirty word. Every time I hear it,
I wash my mouth out with chocolate.
Author unknown
POLICE
ACTIVITY 02/23/08 – 03/28/08
02/23/08
Suspicious circumstances checked in the river near Pixie Park.
02/26/08
Suspicious person in the area of Highway 30 and “L” Street.
02/26/08
Citizen assist at the City Hall.
02/27/08
Traffic complaint in the area of Sixth and “A” Street.
02/27/08
Disabled vehicle at the Mini Mart.
02/27/08
Public assist in the 3500 block of Fifth Street.
02/27/08
Suspicious person in the area of Highway 30 and “L” Street.
02/29/08
Public assist at City Hall.
02/29/08
Assault investigation at the Columbia City Sports and Recreation Club.
03/01/08
Premise checks completed.
03/04/08
Suspicious circumstances in the area of Highway 30 and Chimes Crest.
03/04/08
Suspicious circumstances in the 3000 block of Fifth Street.
03/05/08
Premise checks conducted.
03/05/08
Nuisance call reported in the 1800 block of Third Street.
03/07/08
Hazard checked in the area of Highway 30 and Pacific Street.
03/08/08
Premise checks conducted.
03/12/08
Domestic dispute reported in the 2900 block of Sixth Street.
03/12/08
Residential burglary reported in the 1600 block of Fourth Street.
03/14/08
Premise checks completed.
03/16/08 Premise checks
completed.
03/16/08
Suspicious person in the area of Highway 30 and “A” Street.
03/17/08
Premise checks completed.
03/17/08
Suspicious vehicle at the Caples House.
03/17/08 Open door at a
residence in the 1800 block of Sixth Street.
03/18/08
Theft report taken in the 1600 block of Ninth Street.
03/20/08
Premise checks conducted.
03/21/08
Public assist at City Hall.
03/21/08
Premise checks conducted.
03/22/08
Animal complaint in the area of Fourth and “L” Street.
03/22/08
Animal complaint in the 3500 block of Sixth Street.
03/22/08
Incomplete 911 call in the 1700 block of Seventh Street.
03/22/08
Suspicious person near Highway 30 and Chimes Crest.
03/22/08
Suspicious person near Highway 30 and “A” Street.
03/27/08
Suspicious circumstance in the 400 block of Weown Court.
03/28/08
Premise security checks completed.
LIBRARY
NEWS
We have a couple of new volunteers who have
started working at the Library. We are so thankful for them! If you are
interested in volunteering, we can still find plenty for you to do, and days
for you to volunteer. Stop by the Library to get an application form and
arrange training.
We
had a full building for the Rummage and Book Sale. We had many many donations
the week before the sale and tables were overflowing. It was a lovely day, so
business was a bit slower than usual, but it was fun! The sale brought in $250
for Friends of the Library. Thanks for all the wonderful book donations. We
keep finding great books to add to the Library!
The
Novel Quilters are reading “The Book of Bright Ideas” by Sandra Kring for our
next quilt. “Bright Ideas” should be a little lighter fare than “The Maltese
Falcon” and “March”. Now if you want mysteries – join us for mystery book discussions
on the 4th Wednesday of each month. A new book group has just
started and we’d love to have you there!
New at the Library…
The Poisoned Rose by D. Daniel Judson
Trouble always seems to find Declan
MacManus... and it finds him again one rain-swept October night when the
part-time P.I.--and full-time outsider--gets caught in the middle of a brutal
homicide. To the rich and untouchable of Southampton, longtime locals like
MacManus are little more than background scenery. Set up to take the fall in a
nasty case of double-dealing and multiple murder, Mac follows a serpentine
trail that leads through the murky waters of his past--and into the twisted
heart of a prominent East End family he once knew well. As the lines between
past and present, rich and poor, right and wrong begin to blur, a decades-old
secret emerges from behind the closed doors of the Hamptons’ moneyed
enclaves--and a town sworn to protect its own declares open season on anyone
who stands in its way. Mac is first in line...
Life by Gwyneth Jones
"Life" is a richly textured fictional biography of the
brilliant Anna Senoz, a scientist who makes a momentous discovery about the X
and Y chromosomes. Anna's discovery provokes widespread sexual rage and impacts
cruelly on her career, her marriage, and her child. Ultimately, Anna faces a
challenge that the practice of science alone cannot meet.
Story Time: 11
a.m. every Monday
Friends
of the Library Meeting: 7 p.m. on May 19
Novel
Quilters Meeting: 6:30 p.m. on May 21
Mystery
Book Group: 7 p.m. on May 28
Staffed
Library Hours:
Monday
and Saturday, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Wednesday,
4 p.m. - 8 p.m.
Thursday,
2 p.m. - 6 p.m.
Address: 205
"I" Street
Phone: (503)
366-8020
E-mail: cclibrary@opusnet.com
Website: http://www.freewebs.com/cccomlibrary/index.htm